


Neither Love Nor Blood

by LadyBrooke



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-16 14:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10573464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyBrooke/pseuds/LadyBrooke
Summary: The return of Ingwë, Finwë, and Elu from Valinor seems destined to tear them all apart. Even the definition of relative is questioned for people like Celeborn and Míriel.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Taming the Muse on Dreamwidth, prompt consanguineal.

“I was unaware that you had another female relative.”

Celeborn looked over his shoulder at where Finwë stood.

He, along with Ingwë and Elu, had returned from Valinor just a few days prior, and tensions were still high in the camps as the debate about staying or leaving raged on.

Celeborn placed his axe on the ground and turned to face Finwë. “I do, yes.”

“But is she related to you by blood, or is she one of the orphans that has had to be taken in?” Finwë said.

“Are you asking because you are trying to find one of the loopholes in how you are supposed to deal with an intended’s family?” Celeborn fired back.

“I-no! I simply want to know more about what happened in our absence.” Finwë stuttered as he began, before quickly giving an explanation.

Celeborn rolled his eyes. They acted as though they believed Indis would not have told he and Míriel everything she heard from her brother. “Of course. Well, Míriel has lived with me as one of my consanguines ever since I found her in the woods. The hair color alone seems enough to prove that she is related to me in some way.”

“But you don’t know for sure.”

Had Finwë always been this obstinate, Celeborn wondered, or was this another of the ideas that Valar had placed in his head, much like the new laws and customs they wanted to impose on the rest of them – though Elu appeared to have realized quickly enough that there was no point in that. “In the views of the community, she is. Even Olwë views her as one now. You will not insult any of us by denying that.”

“But you cannot prove that she is,” Finwë tried again.

“And is blood the only standard that guides our lives now? Are we to abandon everything we know, simply because you all have returned from with the ‘wisdom’ that you have been granted by the Valar?” Celeborn took a breath to calm himself before continuing. “If you simply came to find out if Míriel is my relative, she is. If you came to determine what you needed to do before courting her, all I can tell you is that she is old enough to make her own decisions, and you will need to deal with her directly rather than me. If you intend to continue insulting both of us, you can leave now.”

Finwë nodded stiffly. “I will consider everything you have said.”

He left then, as Celeborn turned to pick up his axe again.

Míriel appeared out of the woods at that moment. Celeborn resisted the urge to sigh, seeing how she appeared ready to cry. He needed to remember that while she was old enough to make her own decisions, she was still young. They all were, no matter how old he felt.

“It will be alright,” he said finally.

She nodded, wiping at her face. “It will.”

He reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “If you want to follow him, I won’t stand in your way. He wants to stay near Ingwë’s group, so you would still have Indis near you.”

“Is she leaving?” Míriel said.

He nodded. “She feels that she must, because she has helped lead his followers for the last few years.”

“What about you?”

Celeborn shook his head. “I have to stay with grandfather, and help here.”

Míriel nodded.

Celeborn tried to think of something comforting to say, but could only think of a thousand more ways they would be torn apart. Neither love nor blood was enough to keep them together, it seemed.


End file.
